Workers protest outside McDonald’s Illinois campus, over 100 arrested

More than 100 protesters were arrested on Wednesday after McDonald’s workers gathered outside the fast food chain’s headquarters near Chicago demanding an increase in pay.

The demonstrators are seeking the right to form a union and a minimum pay wage of $15 an hour and they gathered just ahead of the company’s shareholder meeting, according to Bloomberg. Many employees who work on the campus were told to stay home during the protests.

About 2,000 demonstrators, driven to the company’s campus by 32 buses, carried signs and made their demands known. Some employees showed up wearing their uniforms.

One protestor, Jessica Davis said, “We need to show McDonald’s that we’re serious and that we’re not backing down,” reports Reuters. The 25-year-old with two kids makes $8.98 an hour.

As they protested, about 100 demonstrators were arrested by police after they stormed the fast-food chain’s campus.

The McDonald’s protests come as executive pay will be put to a vote on Thursday. The company’s CEO, Don Thompson, earned $9.5 million in total compensation for 2013.

Spokeswoman Heidi Barker Sa Shekhem has noted that many feel bumping the minimum wage up to $15 an hour is “unrealistic,” but “we know that the minimum wage will increase over time.”